Aedon
(ca. 1330 – ca. 1300 BCE) Daughter of Harmothoë and Pandareos, sister of Khelidonis. Her name means “nightingale”. Along with her father, mother, and sisters, Aëdon was deported to Hattusha at the end of the Arzawaean War, around 1317 BCE. There, forced to witness the execution of her father and a cousin who was also her brother-in-law, Aëdon seems to have been made an attendant of Niobë, and accom-panyied her to Thebai by way of Wilusiya. In Troidai, Ganymede’s portrayal of Aëdon is that of a rude and irreverent young woman; quite vain and possessing a profound sense of entitlement, who holds herself equal to Niobë, delights in tormenting her sister, and even teases their young host with crudely salacious jests. She initially demonstrates interest in Drimios, though when he pointedly ignores her, Aëdon’s poor behavior intensifies. When Niobë attempts to help unravel confusion about Akhaia, Aëdon repeatedly interrupts with scandalous trivialities. Her story does not conclude until Theidai, where Ganymede finally learns her fate only after joining the Undying. Following their departure from Idaea, Aëdon attempted any number of means to become Lahpa’s wife to no avail. At Niobë’s urging, he gave her instead to Amphion’s brother, though this only made Aëdon more resentful, especially when Niobe kept producing children to stand in the way of her becoming wanassaa. After several years, Aëdon hatched a plan to cast down Amphion and Niobë, replacing them with her husband and herself. She therefore murdered Niobë’s children, luring them from their beds into a garden, where she gave them poisoned cups to drink. In her carelessness however, Aëdon failed to remember that her own son was among the others, so he died as well. Horrified by her madness and crime, Aedon’s husband killed himself, and she herself was executed by Amphion. His own grief proved too great to endure however, and he too finally took his own life, leaving Niobë free to return to east. Myth & Legend: The earliest reference to Aedon occurs in Odyssey, where Penelopë refers to the nightingale as a daughter of Pandareus who accidentally killed her own child and forever mourns his loss. The Bibliotheca mentions Aedon’s envy for Niobe and plot to murder her oldest son, which resulted in the accidental death of Aedon’s own son. Zeus comforts her grief by transforming her into the nightingale, whose song is therefore a lament for the lost child. Antoninus Liberalis preserves another tale, in which Aedon married an artist called Polytechnos. The couple boasted they loved one another more than the King and Queen of Heaven, so Hera sent Eris to trouble the marriage and a contest awoke between the couple. Hera lent Aedon aid in her embroidery, so she won the competition. Furious, Polytechnos acquired her sister, Chelidonis, raped her, and presented her to his wife as a slave. When the deception was exposed, Aedon and Chelidonis killed Polytechnos’ son Itys and served him in a meal to his father. They then fled back to their father, who futher punished Polytechnos with the intent of killing him. At the last moment, Zeus transformed Polytechnos into a pelican, Aedon’s brother into a whoop, her father into a sea-eagle, Chelidonis into a swallow, and Aedon herself into a nightingale.